


It's Not A Fashion Statement

by officialbibliophile



Category: Bandom, Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance, Panic! at the Disco
Genre: Agebent but only a little, Brotherly Love, M/M, dramatic bs, neighborhood AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-08
Updated: 2018-08-06
Packaged: 2019-06-07 09:58:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15216686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/officialbibliophile/pseuds/officialbibliophile
Summary: A small town isn't big enough for Pretty. Odd. Patrick, Black Parade Pete, Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge Joe, Danger Days Brendon, Soul Punk Ryan, Infinity On High Gerard, A Fever You Can't Sweat Out Mikey, MANIA Ray and Save Rock and Roll Frank. Chaos ensues.





	1. In the Wake of Saturday

The instant he arrived home from school, Patrick set down his backpack and rushed to open the curtains in his bedroom. Looking across at the window just a few feet from his, he saw his neighbor Pete, who was already waiting for him. He flashed a crooked grin as Patrick slid open his own window.  
“Pete! Where have you been? I haven’t seen you since...what, last Tuesday? I missed you!”  
Pete smiled even more. “I was out. Don’t worry about it. But I have some good news for you.”  
“So do I. You first.”  
“Okay, well...I have a job now, at the convenience store down the street from Joe’s place.”  
“Congratulations, dude! That’s way better than my good news. I was going to tell you that I did really well on that bio test I was worried about. I got an A.”  
“That’s awesome, too! I’m glad it wasn’t as hard as you thought it would be.”  
“Thanks.” Patrick stood up straight. “I have to get going soon. Ryan asked me to help him with his homework.”  
Pete laughed and ran his fingers through his dark, badly-straightened hair. “Enjoy that, smarty-pants. I have to go to work soon anyway, but I’ll be back here by 9.”  
Patrick shut his window, picked up his backpack, and hurried around to the side of his house to get his bike.  
~  
As the town’s cool October atmosphere swirled around Patrick, he couldn’t help but feel somewhat disappointed that his favorite time of year had drawn to a close. He would miss the extended hours of bright sun, the blooming flowers, and the sound of katydids in the air. Still, he looked forward to the positives that would come with the darker half of the year. He pondered this as he rode to Ryan’s, watching crows circle in the air and listening to the chatter of animals that would disappear with the first frost.  
Patrick stopped in Ryan’s driveway only to find that he was already outside waiting for him. He was leaning against the tree that grew in his front yard. After the two greeted each other, he picked two apples from a low branch and tossed one to Patrick, then led him inside.  
They climbed the stairs to Ryan’s bedroom and sat together on the floor, where he had left out his math homework. He took a bite of his apple as Patrick read it carefully. After a moment, he pushed it away. “This was due last week.”  
“Mhm.”  
“It’s completed.”  
“Mhm.”  
“Why did you ask me to come here?”  
Ryan sighed, as though it were obvious, looking amused. He let the silence drag on for a few seconds more, then leaned forward. “This is about Halloween.”  
Patrick stared blankly at him. “I don’t understand.”  
“What isn’t there to understand? You know how it is here. The Ways are always trying to outdo the Uries. Remember Mikey, that one who graduated? I found out he’s the one who TPs my house every year. I need your help sabotaging the Ways. You’ll have to be the brains of the operation, but I can execute it.”  
Patrick made a show of considering it for a moment, then shook his head. “I won’t do that. You’re too competitive. You’re almost more over-the-top than they are.”  
“Halloween is a ruthless game around here and you know it.” Ryan finished the apple and tossed it over his shoulder, where it landed, surprisingly, in the trash can by the door. “I invited you to the dark side because you’re smart, and no one would suspect anything if I asked you to help me with my homework.”  
“I’m staying out of this. But I’ll go to the Uries’ party this year just so you don’t try anything on me.”  
“Then I’ve already won,” Ryan joked as Patrick left the room.  
~  
Later that night, as Patrick was reading on his bed, he noticed a faint beam of light from between his slightly-opened curtains that spilled across the floor. He set down his book and tiptoed to the window. Pete had just returned from work.  
“How’s Ryan doing?” he asked after Patrick opened his window.  
“A liar.”  
“That doesn’t answer my question,” Pete said simply.  
“He called me over because he wanted me to help him sabotage the Ways’ Halloween party. I’m not sure how Brendon manages to get so many people on his side.”  
“What else do you expect from the kid? Besides, he and Brendon are best friends.”  
“Really? All I knew is that they knew each other.”  
“Then I’m not doing my job as the gossip manager in town.” Pete laughed, and Patrick smiled a little. “Don’t tell that Ryan kid, but I have to take the Ways’ side. I’ve known Gerard and Mikey for too long.”  
“I regret telling you about this.” Patrick’s smile grew.  
It was in Pete’s nature not to take anything seriously. He had too much fun every autumn watching all his friends compete, making complete fools of themselves without having a care in the world. To Patrick, seeing everyone so happy and carefree was the best part.  
“Two more weeks,” Pete said after a moment. “I have a feeling this year is going to be bigger than ever before.”  
“It’ll be huge, I’m sure of that.”  
Suddenly, Pete leaned over the windowsill and glanced up at the moon. He gestured to it, half full and already up high. “It’s late, man. You should sleep.”  
“Okay, I will, but you should too.”  
“I don’t need any beauty sleep. I’m already gorgeous.”  
“Cut that out, I know you haven’t been resting enough.”  
“Oh no, the little sophomore thinks I’m ugly! I knew it.” Pete stuck his tongue out at him, then swiftly pulled the curtain over the window. Patrick saw his silhouette collapse onto the bed, and he could only shake his head before returning to his.


	2. Leaves Change in Colors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Halloween is drawing closer, and tension grows higher as two families compete to throw the better Halloween party. All the drama you'd expect in such a small town.

School days seemed the longest to Brendon through the month of October. While everyone was beginning to shift from summertime and settle into their busy routines, the Uries were always occupied with preparing for their annual Halloween parties. This meant setting up decorations inside and outside the house, making enough food for everyone, and, of course, distributing invitations.

Brendon impatiently drummed his fingers against the school’s only functioning printer as it slowly copied enough invitations for his friends. He was already late for lunch, which meant that it would be near impossible to find a place to sit. Last time that happened, he sat on the floor, which wouldn’t have been that bad if his friends hadn’t poked fun at him about it and damaged his pride.

The printer finally spit out the last copy, and Brendon set the top three aside and hastily shoved the rest in his bag. He would be dropping those in mailboxes later, hoping to convince more people to attend his party and not the Ways’. It had been gaining more popularity every year.

When Brendon made it to the cafeteria, he found that there were four chairs at the table that he and his friends had claimed as their own. The only thing that was out of the ordinary was the presence of a tall senior he didn’t recognize between Patrick and Ryan.

Patrick noticed him first. “Hey, Brendon! Where were you?”

“Printing invitations.” He handed one to Patrick, then slid two across the table to Joe and Ryan. He then set his bag down and fished out another for the senior.

“Thank you,” he said, taking it from Brendon and standing. He was much taller than Brendon, and he had to look up to keep eye contact. “I’m Gabe, by the way. Your friends asked me to save you a seat.”

Brendon thanked him and sat down.

Joe stretched his legs, then crossed them at the ankles, leaning over the side of his chair. “I can drive you around town later to help you distribute the invitations, if you need to make it quick.”

Brendon considered it for a moment. Joe could drive, but not well. Brendon wondered how he even managed to pass the test. Additionally, his ride was a mess—full of trash and probably at least one ghost. He shook his head. “Thank you, but I’ve got plenty of time. I’ll probably just walk.”

Patrick read the situation and scratched the back of his head awkwardly, probably knowing why Brendon declined Joe’s offer. “You can borrow my bike if you want.”

Brendon fussed with his hair. He had a reputation to keep up, and riding a bike with flowers in the basket around town would not help him. Though he appreciated Patrick’s offer, it just didn’t match what he was known for: mischief and glittery jackets. He shook his head again. “No, thank you.”

Moments later, the bell rang, and the four picked up their bags and hurried back to their classes. Well, Brendon noted, except for Ryan, who took a detour to talk to Gabe and laugh about something with him. He would wonder if he had the time to, but he had been late to class enough times already that he knew he had to get moving.

~

Brendon walked with Patrick on his way home from school that day, planning to leave invitations in all the mailboxes in his neighborhood. They walked alone in silence for a few minutes, but as they waited to cross the street, Brendon noticed someone running towards them.

Ryan hurried to catch up, but he was still a fair bit behind when Patrick pointed out that they had a walk signal. The two raced across the street, laughing together as Ryan got stuck on the other side. They waited for him there instead.

“That wasn’t funny,” Ryan said, trying to suppress a smile when he finally caught up with them.

“It really was,” Brendon replied through laughter.

Ryan only sighed in response and started walking. The others followed.

When they arrived, Patrick was already heading for his front door before hearing Brendon from his neighbor’s mailbox.

“What the fuck?” he shouted, his eyebrows furrowed.

“What is it?” asked Ryan, stepping closer.

He held up a black card with white text and waved it around. “Those bastards got here first.”

Patrick turned around and sighed, tugging on his sweater. “Don’t say something like that. It’s not fucking nice.”

Brendon only laughed and tore the invitation to the Ways’ party in half, replacing it with his and closing the mailbox before continuing. Ryan watched as Patrick shook his head and went inside before catching back up.

“I’m going to yours, don’t worry,” Ryan promised. “And I convinced Patrick to come. I think Pete will, too.”

“Awesome. I sure hope plenty of people show up.”

Brendon stopped at another house, and Ryan gestured to the side street next to it. “I have to get going. Good luck.”

“Based on the way things seem to be going, I’ll need it,” he muttered.

~

When Ryan got home, he set his bag down by the apple tree in his yard and leaned up against it, staring at the low-hanging branches. Something was bothering him, but he wasn’t exactly sure what. Whatever it was occupied his mind enough for him to forget about his homework.

He sat down there and fell asleep, only realizing he had been so tired when he woke up sometime during the evening. The sky was pink to the west and it was already growing dim. He sighed and rubbed his eyes, smearing his blue and yellow eyeshadow, and went directly to his bedroom.

Trying to study chemistry on an empty stomach and a busy mind, Ryan discovered, was incredibly difficult, but not impossible. He managed to accomplish what he had to before midnight, but he lie awake past then. That Something continued to stir in his mind. It wouldn’t give up, but sleep eventually rescued him from it again.


	3. If You've Got the Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter came a little late, just because life got super busy. Updates should be more consistent this month.

    Only one week until Halloween.

    Pete opened his eyes a few minutes before noon, pale beams of autumn sunlight from the window cutting through the room’s dark atmosphere and landing on his bed. He was so exhausted from working almost all night that he had forgotten—oh _shit_ , he realized, looking at the clock—he promised to meet Patrick at the music store two hours ago. The realization got him out of bed quickly, but he froze when there was a harsh sound at his window. Another.

    He pulled the curtain back and saw Patrick framed by his own window, wearing an annoyed expression and tossing another pebble at him. There wasn’t even time for Pete to open his mouth before Patrick started shouting.

    “What the hell? You promised! I should have known not to trust you to be on time. Honestly, you’re the worst.”

    “I was at work. All night.” Pete mumbled, rubbing his eyes to see clearer, then noticing something in Patrick’s hair. “What’s that?”

    He touched it gently. “Oh, this? It’s a daisy from the garden. I thought it would—you know what, nevermind that, I’m still not happy with you, Mr. I-Work-All-Night-And-Make-Excuses-All-Day! You’re the one who agreed!"

    “I know, dude, I’m sorry. But you give being 20 a try. It sucks most of the time. I’ve been working so many night shifts but I’m still broke.”

    “Stop spending your money on magazine subscriptions then. I don’t care how many free metal band posters you get.”

    Pete laughed at this. “It’s not my fault that Metallica is the greatest band ever to exist.”

    Sounds like something you’d say, Patrick thought, pursing his lips slightly. Pete only laughed more, enough that he didn’t notice the squeal of brakes coming from his driveway. Joe.

    “Hey fuckass!” he hollered as soon as he got out of his van.

    Patrick looked down at him. “Joe, you need to learn to respect your elders.”

    “I’m not old,” said Pete, trying and failing not to sound offended.

    “You were just complaining about being old! If you’re going to make excuses, at least try to keep it consistent.”

    Pete didn’t even respond to that, as he was already heading down the stairs to meet Joe. Patrick must have raced down there to meet him or to prove a point, because he was already there when Pete stepped outside. He wasn’t even good at hiding it. In fact, it didn’t seem he was trying to steady his breathing.

    “You call me a fuckass because you love me,” he said, batting his eyelashes jokingly, only to be interrupted by a tall man with lots of curly hair who was riding a bike past them.

    “Visit Red Pond Road on Halloween night at 7:30, it’ll be a blast!” he shouted, smiling at them.

    “Fuck off, I’m going to the Uries’!” Joe said over his shoulder. The man on the bike—Ray Toro, a friend of the Ways—simply turned his head, ignoring Joe, and disappeared into the trees.

    Pete was about to defend him, stopping only when he realized he’d probably lose his ride. He just sighed and looked at Joe before pointing at an invisible watch. “We should get going. I have to be there in fifteen minutes.” The extra shifts should have been enough to help him pay back all the people he owed money. Hopefully.

    “Yeah, let’s go,” Joe agreed. He opened the door and swung himself into the driver’s seat, starting the engine on his second attempt. “Not bad for this piece of junk,” he said half to Pete and half to the dashboard. He turned then to Patrick, promising him that he’d see him on Monday and pulling the van out of Pete’s driveway. It came a little too close to the mailbox for Pete or Patrick’s comfort, then sped down the road in the same direction that the Ways’ advertiser had gone. Patrick hoped Joe wouldn’t pick a fight with him or anything.

    With a sigh, Patrick returned to his bedroom. He could go to the music store with Pete next week. Or the next. Hopefully.

~

    The Ways’ house had always been like a second home to Ray. He and Gerard had been lifelong friends, and Ray had spent a lot of time there. They were going to college together, too, but it was close enough that they drove home together most weekends. This was a particularly exciting one, as preparations for the Halloween party were taking place. Ray agreed to advertise for them. After about an hour of this, he returned the bike he borrowed to its place by the porch steps and went back to Gerard and Mikey’s bedroom.

    Ray had always loved the perfect asymmetry in the room the Way brothers shared. They had split the room in half, with a window on the far side from the door and one bed in each corner. On the left, Mikey had decorated the dark blue wall with posters and blurry photographs he had taken himself. The bed was made and everything was organized, save for a pile of books on the floor that stood about three feet tall and looked like it was at risk for collapse.

    Gerard’s side of the room was much different. He had painted swirls of yellow on the wall like van Gogh’s _The Starry Night_ , and concert tickets were pinned to a small cork board above the bed. Art supplies were scattered everywhere—sketchbooks were open on every available surface, gel pens with mismatched caps lay in a pile at the foot of the bed, and an impressive collection of colored pencils spilled from the dresser below the window onto the floor. Gerard was sitting on the bed with his back to the wall, carefully sketching something with a charcoal pencil.

    “Hi,” Ray said, stretching over the bed to look at what Gerard was drawing. “Is that me?”

    “Yeah.” He turned the sketchbook, looking proud. “It’s you but as a werewolf.”

    “Awesome.”

    “I’ve got plenty of these,” he continued, turning pages one by one. “I think my favorite is the faerie version of myself.”

    Ray laughed. “You’ve got some interesting ideas. Where do they come from?”

    “Don’t know, but they always seem to come at the worst possible moments. Did I ever tell you about that time I had a great idea at the start of a three-hour class? I ended up forgetting it by the end because I was too focused on trying not to fail the test that week. On top of that, I failed the test.”

    “Bummer,” Ray said, then after a pause, “Was it math?”

    Gerard nodded and fussed with the blond patch of hair at the top of his head. “Math.”

    Before Ray could agree, he heard the door creak, distinctly loud footsteps, and the sound of the door hitting the frame with more force than necessary. He turned and saw Mikey standing with his back against the door. He was wearing large combat boots, a patterned blue jacket, lots of pink makeup, and a frown. Without bothering to provide any reason for his terrible attitude, he let out a dramatic sigh and collapsed on his bed.

    “What happened?” Gerard asked, already sounding exhausted by him.

    “Nothing.” Mikey’s voice was muffled. He did not move.

    “Okay th—”

    “Ah, shit,” he interrupted, rolling over and pressing the heel of his hand against his forehead. “I forgot you wanted me to get flashlights for next week.”

    “Don’t worry about it. I can get some on Monday.”

    “No, no, no, I’ll go now.” He sounded genuinely annoyed, but left anyway to fulfill his promise.

    “What a pain in the ass,” muttered Gerard as soon as the door shut.

    Ray shook his head. “He’s just being overdramatic. As usual.”

    “I know, and I love him more than anything. That doesn’t make him any less of a pain in the ass.”

~ 

    After Mikey parked badly in the lot at the corner store, he began to realize that he had been a pain in the ass.

    Oh, well, he thought bitterly. He always was. Gerard hadn’t snapped yet, and most people tolerated him, which was enough. But he wouldn’t ever apologize, because he was just that stubborn.

    He composed himself and went into the store, searching around for flashlights. Gerard said they’d act as spotlights, so they’d have to be pretty good. Fortunately, there appeared to be just the right number of the ones he decided on. He was turning around to look for batteries when he ran directly into an employee.

    “I’m sorry!” he said a little too loudly, embarrassed.

    “Don’t worry about it. Things happen,” the employee reassured him.

    Mikey didn’t say anything, just studied him for a moment, making note of his dark eyeliner, awkward aura, and his wild hair. It was a mess—the front stuck to his forehead, but most of it stuck up in every imaginable direction.

    “You looking for anything?”

    “Just these,” Mikey finally said, picking up a few packages of batteries from the shelf on his right before following him to the back so he could pay for them.

    “Do I know you from somewhere?” he asked Mikey, punching a few buttons on the cash register. He didn’t even look up.

    “I don’t know.”

    “Hmm. Maybe I’ve just seen you around or something.” Finally, he made eye contact. “Nevermind, of course I know you! Mikey, I haven’t seen you in years!”

    Mikey looked at his nametag, and recognition flashed in his mind—it was Pete, an old friend. It had been, what? Three years? Four? It hadn’t been too long, but they had both changed so much in that amount of time. “Good to see you, man. How long have you been working here?”

    “Just a few weeks.” Pete shoved the flashlights and batteries into a flimsy bag and handed it to Mikey. “See you around, I guess?”

    “I guess.” He took the bag and started to leave, then hesitated. “I’m so sorry, but before I go, I’m obligated to ask you if you’ll be at our Halloween party this year. That’s what these are for,” he explained, lifting the bag.

    “Yeah, of course I will. I went last year, too, and the year before, but I haven’t seen you. Just by chance, maybe?”

    “Maybe,” Mikey repeated. The real answer was that he had avoided the celebrations in favor of reading Poe and Dickens. He wasn’t about to tell Pete that.

    “I even convinced my friend Joe to come,” Pete continued. “He’s no pushover, let me tell you.”

    “Consider me told.”

    Pete laughed. “See you there, Mikey.”

 


End file.
